Springfield daily republic. [volume] (Springfield, O. [Ohio]) 1887-1888, 1887-07-30
THE WHIrPERN IN.
THE ARDUOUS DUTIES OF THE ENG
LiSh PARLIAMENTARY WHIPS"
How the Political Hounds Are Called
Together in Great Britsin's Legislative
the Party whip

Together in Great Britsin's Legislative
HaII--Th- Serious R--pons ibiiiti-, Of
the Party Whip
Political parties were declared by Pulte-
neS, "A hundred Years ago. tn resemble
snakes, III the fact that their heads were
moved forward 10y their tails. 1t might
he lnVid"rS, perhaps, AZ the present day
to discuss the anatomy uf our pariie in
order Ia find out where the motive power
chiefly lies, hut there can AT least he little
doubt that party without "A whip, or
couple of whips. would stand very poor
chance indeed on the floor OF the house of
commons The first lord Of the treasury
may he absent through indisposition,
or the chancellor OF the eNchequer may
stay away from some other reason. and
there are plenty ut occupants al the treas
ury bench I" take their place Tor night
But surprising that both whips should be
inCapaCitated, who would be their subSti-
tutcSs No other members know half 81
much about the party organization As
they do. They are misrepresentation
they are aware of the fact
Ii is quite ten Years since. before the
Liberals had been 81 fatally split up a.
they are al present, that Sir Willrid Law
son amused his constituents hy telling
them that il was the custom of the whip
per~ in Of parliament tu summon their pu-
litical hounds together by means ut ii
polite little circular. which earnestly re
que>ted' the presence ot each individual
member who might he counted on to vote
straight. II there was no dash under the
word earnestly il was safe To infer.
said the honorable member fOr Carlisle
that the business 10 which reference was
made might or might not come on thai
evening One dash under the word meant
that the member summOne, ought 10
come Two daShcS meant that h" certain
ly should come. Three undermining strokes
meant that he must come. And if the
whip had been lavish enough Ia waste no
fewer than iuur clashes on the earnestly,
the plain Significance Of that was that if
the member chose To stay away I've would
do AT his peril.
Ii j. open TO question whether the use
of these marks. supposed to be dear to
the feminine mind, beneath the summon
ing words i'll whips circulars have been
productive OF good or harm One ohvi-
OuS result has been To cause legislators TO
have very little respect for an earnest re
quest without the accompanying symbols
of peremptorinesS Ii whip were To
he asked what possible peril could
he involved in a member diSobcying
n party command and staying at home
when n great division was pending, he
would no doubt reply that the peril arose
from the members own constituents.
But. for all THAI. members who are ca sIlal
in the parliamentary attendance or con
firmed abSentees do Unquestionably go i'll
terror of the remonst RANGES Of the parry
fuglemen, apart altogether from con-
sideration al the effect OF On-voting OH
the safety Of their seats.
Long custom has made the rule Of the
whip "A prescriptlve one which nobody
would dispute, except when cOnyi ictlons
forced man To quit his party ranks and
vote for once with the opposite hosts. Il
is rule whicn Is exercised with great
tact and Judgment, and which Is not re-
sentcd. Now and then, 10 doubt members
break away from the wlaps: occasionally
a statesman, like Mr.. DiSraeli in his Tree
lance days. refers bitterly to the party or
ganization rs being too severe, ant dubs
the necessity of obeying the whips ''sla-
very" As a general rule. however, ii j.
recognized that party would he all at
sea without these officials, who work 80
silently. and whose names are not marked
out for the fame which awaits the political
leaders on either side
The whip has a hard fate. He leads u
irregular lie. ~ far aS late
hours are concerned. lie IL expected 10
rise with the lark, although he only goes
I" bed with the reporters, and when the
last light i being rNiinguished IN the
house of commons. Members Of his party
who are in trouble oi any sort come 10
him and consult him rs il he were q father
cOnfeSsOr. lie is supposed To have kind
Of intuitive acquaintance with the feeling
oI the party. and Il he misleldS the lead
er> i'll this respect he i made rn repent the
bluEder in parliamentary >ackClnth. Tn
der all possible irritatiuns he i expected
20 keep his temper. to have Il nod or Il
word ready for everybody, and 10 smile
like an angel, even if kept up by an all
night sitting and racked with toothache.
''lnpuire within upon everything con
nected with the game of politics. ought
10 he Inscribed in letters of gold round a
whips coat collar.
Now. what i the guerdon for all this
display of civic virtue, The virtue in
tins case, as in most cases, is IFS own re
ward, and the whip gets no peCuniary 50
latium whatever. He takes his salary III
the esteem Of his brother members. and
in the consciousness that he is PLAYING IN
important part in the political arena. No
sooner are the doors oI The house thrown
wide, and the division bell sounded. than
he is 10 be seen making his way rapidly
TO the front benches, there 10 receive in
Structions rs Ia which lobby his party j.
to 90 into, and other important matters.
He is expected TO have some mesmeric
influence over members, 50 rs 10 ''keep n
house More than that, when there Is
danger Of the Cloturc being needed, he has
To keep such Il house rs was never dreamed
If in the good old fashioned days. for he
is responsible for having no fewer than
200 supporters iii attendance. in the
library. smoking room, dining room or
lobby, ready To ''polInce' when Mr.. Smith |
gives the word.-i.ondon Telegraph.
Getting Acquainted.